True Legends
by BoxingBunny
Summary: He was the last thing she expected to find during her research. But then again she always knew that behind every legend there was always an element of truth.
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is Cannon! It's set in the modern era. Also, if you're waiting for an update on any of my other stories, they're coming! I swear!! This just got me a little distracted...

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

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True Legends

Chapter 1

_**"True legends never die." -- Unknown**_

Kagome gave a long stretch as she stepped out of her Jeep. She'd been on the road for a few hours now and was very happy to finally arrive at her destination. Every weekend she would go to another rural area in Japan scouting for local legends. She had already obtained her degree and become a high school history teacher, but now she was writing a study on how legends in some areas may have been born from natural and geological phenomena. All of this was when she wasn't busy grading her student's tests and papers, of course.

It had originally begun as a search for information on her friends from the past. After defeating Naraku and joining all of the purified jewel shards, Kagome had been sent back to her time where the well no longer allowed her passage through time. She read every book on myths, legends, and folklore that she could find while in high school. And there had been several versions of the legend of the Jewel of Four Souls, but nothing citing any specific persons or what happened after the "demon of deceit" had been destroyed.

On the occasions that her friends were able to pull her away from her books, Kagome had gradually readjusted to life in the modern age. It hadn't been too difficult since she would always be a twenty-first century girl at heart, but she did miss the clean air and clear skies. She'd even gotten over her heartbreak and started dating in her last couple of years of high school. Human boys weren't so bad even if they couldn't run faster than the wind, leap up cliff sides, or use magic. They were, after all, only human.

But then Kagome had gotten the surprise of her life. She'd arrived back at the shrine one evening just before sunset after a long day at school and with friends, but had been startled when she noticed a man leaning against the side of her house as if waiting for something. Glancing around, Kagome didn't see anyone else outside and began to panic. This man wasn't very far from her front door and there was no way she could get into her house without passing him.

Her fears quieted some when he turned his attention her way. He was an older man looking to be in his late-forties. She didn't like to think of it this way, but she was fairly confident that she could fend off someone his age or outrun them at the very least. So, squaring her shoulders and steeling her nerve, Kagome walked forward and addressed the man from a closer—but still safe—distance. "Excuse me sir, but the shrine is closed for the evening. You're welcome to come back tomorrow."

She had been hoping that he would apologize for the confusion, she had even partially expected him to come at her in some way, but Kagome was taken completely by surprise when the man in front of her merely smirked before releasing a deep chuckle. "I know I've changed, but I don't look _that_ old, do I?" He questioned as he removed his black fedora-style hat.

Kagome couldn't suppress the gasp as a hand flew to her mouth and she took a surprised step back before sinking to the ground completely. She could now see that what was earlier dismissed as graying hair was truly a deep and sparkling white. He was definitely older than the last time she saw him, but there was no mistaking the golden eyes and strong mouth that smirked down at her…especially with the two velvety ears twitching on top of his head. "Inuyasha," she whispered.

"Heh, it's about time you recognized me! You've only had a few years compared to my five hundred and some odd. Is your human memory really that pathetic??" The half-demon teased.

Kagome instantly sprang up before yelling back, "Have you looked in a mirror lately?! You looked like you were my age! When did you turn into an old man?" She jabbed.

Ears instantly flattening against his skull, Inuyasha growled out, "I ain't an old man! Let's see you try to age five hundred years and not look like an old hag…" But his grumblings were cut short as the teenage girl threw herself at his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck laughing.

"It really is you!" She cried. "I was worried that everyone had died…"

"You're not getting rid of us that easily," the older demon soothed returning the hug. "Most all of the demons you knew are still around…even that damned Kouga."

Kagome laughed at her friend as she pulled back from their embrace slightly. "All this time and you still don't get along? Will you ever stop fighting with Kouga??"

"Yeah…as soon as it snows in hell and the devil learns to figure skate."

More laughter filled the courtyard before Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's hand and began tugging him inside the house. "Mom! Souta! Gramps! Look who's here!!"

Her mother's calm voice answered from a room down the hallway, "We know, dear. He's been waiting outside for you for a few hours. Oh, and he staying for supper so remember to set an extra place!"

Kagome could only look over at the smirking half-demon in surprise as he kicked off his shoes at the door and padded into the house as though he came over every day.

But that was several years ago. Kagome was no longer a seventeen year old girl but a twenty-four year old woman. She was no longer the student but the teacher. And Inuyasha…well he was still surprisingly the same even after five centuries. They'd done a little to improve his temper and patience, but he still had outbursts.

It had been thanks to Inuyasha, Kouga, and Shippou that she was able to go to college without the aid of student loans. They'd had quite a while to make their fortunes and establish good names in different businesses worldwide. She still thought it was hilarious to see any of them in a business suit.

But they were forbidden from these little excursions of hers. She knew that they would only distract her, and these were times that she could take to clear her mind while doing her research.

She glanced at her Jeep as she grabbed a bag from the backseat and shouldered it. A present from her over-protective trio, it always took her everywhere she needed to go. Her trips often lead her into isolated areas that would require something with four-wheel-drive, so this was the perfect vehicle for her. Though, she was often griped at about its dirty and slightly dented condition. But what did they expect? She was in the woods and mountains, not downtown Tokyo!

Starting down the street where she'd parked, Kagome couldn't help but smile as she passed by the different vendors selling their goods. She sometimes wished that she could move to a place like this and live somewhere with a simpler lifestyle. But even with teaching and doing her research, Kagome Higurashi was still the resident miko at Sunset Shrine. It held far too many memories for her to just leave it behind for someone else to take care of.

She stopped occasionally to buy some locally grown fruits and vegetables here and there, but always kept her ears and eyes open for someone who might know of local legends. In her experience it was usually the older generations that had the best stories; her grandfather was a prime example of that.

Bickering caught her attention and Kagome turned to see two elderly women about the same age in vendor stands that were side-by-side. It was obvious that they weren't really upset with one another and were just squabbling between friends. _'A perfect place to start,'_ she thought as she made her way over with a warm smile on her face.

"Excuse me, ladies," she interrupted to catch their attention before continuing. "My name is Kagome Higurashi and I'm a history teacher at Musashi High School in Tokyo. I'm currently doing independent research into local legends and folklore in the more rural surrounding areas. If either of you know of any stories that you would be willing to share with me, I'd greatly appreciate it."

"Will you listen to that, Koto? A young person who is actually interested in old folktales," the woman selling jams said to her friend. "If only my grandchildren were as interested in such things! I'm Yoshino, Miss Higurashi."

"I wouldn't want to listen to you blather on either if I were as young as your grandchildren," Koto shot back. "But she is a pretty little lady, isn't she? And to be a teacher at such a young age. You're barely out of school yourself!"

Kagome wasn't sure whether she had just been complimented or insulted, but she kept her smile and assumed the former.

"Koto! Behave yourself." Yoshino chastised. "You'll have to excuse her," she told Kagome. "She's just upset because my jams have been selling better than her melons," the woman preened.

"As if anyone actually likes your bitter jam…" Koto grumbled.

Kagome had to bite the inside of her cheek so that she didn't laugh at their banter. "Well it's very nice to meet you, ladies. So I take it that there are some stories in this area?" She directed towards Yoshino but Koto answered instead.

"No stories that you won't find similar versions of anywhere else," the melon lady answered.

"You hush now, Koto!" Yoshino glared at her friend. "You didn't move here until you were a teenager. I happen to remember a story that my grandmother told me when I was just a little girl," she assured Kagome. "And it happens to be unique to _only_ this valley," she directed at Koto.

"That would be wonderful! Would you mind if I recorded your telling? I don't want to forget anything later!" Kagome questioned excitedly as she dug through her bag for her digital recorder.

"Of course, dear, of course," Yoshino answered with a chuckle when Kagome started grumbling over technologies that ran away from her. When Kagome finally pulled the small recorder free of her bag Yoshino motioned for her to come take a seat beside her behind the stand. "Now let's see…how did that story begin again??" She paused. "Oh yes! Did you know that this valley is one of great value?" She asked. When Kagome shook her head, Yoshino continued. "The mountains on the other side of the entrance to the valley have many valuable natural resources buried within. And several times in the past, developers have come here to try to buy or take our land away from us so that they could get through to those resources.

"But each time they try to get under the mountain something scares them away. Some people think that it's just superstition, but in the mountains lives our Demon Guardian.

"Hundreds of years ago, this valley was under the protection of a great and powerful demon. As long as the people obeyed his law, he watched over them and made sure that no harm came to the valley. He would chase away bands of corrupted samurai and soldiers during times of war, and supplied food during times of famine. But one day humans decided to rise up against the demons that they feared.

"The people in the valley were sure to get caught in the crossfire as others came to kill their protector. So in his last act of protection, their Demonic Guardian brought the giant bones of another, spilled some of his own blood, and left to the mountains so that others would think he'd been slain.

"He was neither seen nor heard from for many generations. But one day some young men who were in the mountains hunting game found great animal tracks that couldn't have belonged to anything from the area. That is how we knew that he was the one keeping modern man away from our peaceful little town." Yoshino smiled at Kagome's expression. She looked just like a child hanging on her every word.

"But that was many years before even my time," she said. "Nobody has tried to disturb the valley or the mountains for a very long time. People have tried to reason the developer's fears away to things such as shadows, rock slides, and echoing animal calls, but I like to think that our Demon Guardian is the real reason we're able to live here."

Snapping out of her trance, Kagome sat up straight and took out a notepad and pencil to ask a few questions. "Do you know what some of the things frightening people away were?"

Yoshino thought for a moment before answering, "It seems like they would hear strange noises; things like eerie howls or growling. There have been a few people who have seen what they said were animal tracks larger than cars. But as I said, it's been a very long time. A scientist looked into it once and said that the "tracks" could have been caused by erosion or some such. He also said that the noises could be calls from other animals or sounds coming from underground and echoing through some of the caves."

Kagome nodded as she took notes even though the recorder was still going. She would do a little investigating of her own. If she found anything interesting or substantial, she would come back a few more times until she reached her own conclusion. "Well, Yoshino and Koto, thank you very much for your time. It's been a great help!"

"Anytime," Yoshino answered as Kagome grabbed her things and started back down the street to her Jeep. "She was a nice girl."

Koto simply hummed before answered, "I suppose. But you know as well as I do that she won't find anything from that story in those mountains. She'll be so disappointed; she had a daydreamer's eyes."

**----------**

Kagome was driving up a road that obviously hadn't been traveled on in a very long time. The ground was uneven and slightly grown over with various forms of vegetation. Stopping for a moment, she checked her map and determined that she'd come far enough into the mountains to do what she'd come to do—and that was explore.

As she folded her map to put into her hiking pack, Kagome saw a flash of color in the forest and stilled. She listened carefully and waited for any other movements or sounds. When none were heard she continued checking that she had everything that she needed and got out of the Jeep to continue on foot taking a path to her right.

It was another few minutes of hiking before another flash of color and a light rustling caught her attention. She could feel her heart start to beat a little faster as she scanned the area. She was well aware of the wild animals in the surrounding forests and had a can of pepper spray as a small handgun at her hip just in case, but if she needed to use either it would come down to being faster at getting them in her hands than the animal getting to her.

Her breathing picked up a notch and her hand went to her side holster as more movement was made to her left and behind her. Whatever was there was getting closer…

She made a move to slowly turn around, but was taken by surprise when a large weight collided with her chest effectively knocking her to the ground and her hand away from her weapons. When she opened her eyes she was greeted by two giant brown paws pressing down on her chest and gleaming white fangs merely inches from her face. Kagome thought she was going to either pass out or have a heart attack, but eventually took a deep breath and let her head fall against the leaf-covered ground.

"Okay, you've officially scared the crap out of me for this trip," she announced. "You can get off of me now."

A pink tongue delivered a languid lick to her face before the weight was removed from her and she was free to get on her feet again. She glared half-heartedly at the three large wolves—one black, one brown, and one grey—that walked up to her with their tails wagging. "If you think you're getting treats after that stunt, you guys are crazy!" But their whining and puppy-dog eyes (that they pulled off surprisingly well for adult wolves) melted her heart far too quickly for her liking and she pulled a Ziploc bag of beef jerky out of her pack.

Kagome rolled her eyes at the trio as they practically inhaled the snack before starting up the path once again. It was pretty much mandatory that she tell Inuyasha, Kouga, and Shippou where she was planning on visiting each weekend. And because she didn't allow them to accompany her, Kouga always dispatched a few of his wolves to the area to watch over her and keep her company. These three had been sent out for the past few months and she'd grown a little attached to them.

She'd also found they she didn't need her map with the wolves following her around. If she found an area of interest all she had to do was mark it with a flag and spray a nearby tree with any kind of traceable scent and her partners would lead her right back to the site. And that's how Kagome spent her first day in the mountains. There were a couple of spots that could have been what others referred to as "tracks" and another spot that almost looked like giant claw marks in some large boulders. But other than that, there wasn't much to find that she could see. Not even Kouga's wolves were picking up anything that she might have overlooked.

So as the sun set, Kagome started making camp. Another thing that Kouga's wolves were good for was finding water sources and fetching water. She always brought a bucket or two along for various uses, but the handles easily fit in a wolf's mouth and they weren't too heavy if filled with water for them to carry.

Darkness eventually fell and Kagome was making some soup over a small fire she had going while trying to ignore the wolves as they ate their own supper; they'd apparently found a few rabbits in the forest and had a successful hunt. But as she ate she let her mind wander and came to the conclusion that she was indeed a little disappointed with her findings so far. The story had sounded so interesting when Yoshino had told it to her, and she was really hoping that she would find something to support it. She had another day or two, but her start wasn't very promising.

She soon washed her cooking utensils in one of the buckets of water and prepared for bed. Her lupine companions settled in by her side ensuring her warmth. Kagome was just starting to drift off to sleep when a strange sound echoed through the forest.

Sitting up quickly caused the wolves to also go on guard against any possible threats. When it sounded again a shiver crept up Kagome's spine and she saw the three wolves around her move closer together and flatten their ears to their heads; she wasn't the only one unnerved by the sound. But she couldn't just sit there and she certainly wasn't going to be scared off by the noise. The only thing left to do was investigate.

The wolves whined and tugged at her shorts gently when she started pulling on her boots and reaching for her flashlight. "Fine you big babies," she said with a small huff after standing. "If you want to stay at camp that's fine, but I'm going to find out what that is. I just wonder what Kouga will say when he finds out about this." She tossed over her shoulder as she walked off between the trees. She wasn't surprised when several more sets of footsteps could be heard behind and beside her.

Their pace was slow and careful. Every now and then the sound would carry through the night. It was unsettling to say the least. And there was no way that it was noise from underground. This was definitely some kind of animal, but she had no idea what. Its wail was almost haunting and it shook her to the core the closer she drew to the source.

Soon she found herself at the entrance to a cave. "Oh great," she mumbled. "This doesn't scream _'horror movie—turn back now'_ at all." But when the call sounded again, Kagome found it almost impossible to breathe. The sound was deafening and all-encompassing as it echoed out of the mouth of the cave. It not only sent a shiver down her spine, but caused a shudder to wrack her entire being. This was definitely where the sound was coming from.

She was about to take her first step into the cave when she felt a strong set of jaws tug on her belt. She looked back to see the grey wolf firmly tugging at her with a whine as the other two moved in front of her and bristled slightly with a growl. The last thing she expected was an answering growl from within the cave. But the one from the cave was so much louder, so much deeper, and so much more threatening than what was coming from the two creatures in front of her. It almost caused her to lose her nerve.

It took a few deep breaths and double-checking that her gun was at her side before Kagome was finally able to swallow the lump in her throat and take her first shaky step forward. She noticed that the wolves were no longer following her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that they were pacing the mouth of the cave nervously, but not daring to step into the darkness that surrounded her. She wouldn't tell Kouga about their leaving her by herself because she honestly couldn't blame them. She wouldn't have followed her either.

A few more steps and the menacing growl enveloped her once more. This time, being completely surrounded by the sound vibrations caused her knees to go weak and her lungs to seize up momentarily. She fell to her knees and gasped to regain her breath. At this point it was all she could do to keep the threatening bile pushed down. Her body and instincts were screaming at her to turn around, to run, to get away from this place, but her mind was pressing her to continue. There was something in this cave that was worth continuing forward and she wasn't going to risk coming back tomorrow and it being gone.

So she stood again on shaky legs and ventured deeper into the darkness. It was wet; she could hear the water dripping around her. There must be an underground water source nearby. The growl started again and she had to brace herself against the cave wall. This time the growling didn't stop but was continuous. She had to be getting close now, and whatever was in the cave wasn't happy about it.

Rounding a small curve in the tunnel she'd been following, Kagome was surprised to see that it opened up into a much larger area. But was instantly gained her attention was a piercing red within the darkness.

She brought her light up with an unsteady hand to illuminate what was in front of her, but found herself forgetting how to breathe with what met her eyes. In front of her was a creature larger than any land animal alive in today's world. Dingy white fur splotched with what she assumed was dirt covered the animal, and large, red eyes that seemed to glow glared at her from its face. The growl grew louder and fangs were revealed in a vicious snarl, but Kagome was frozen to her spot by the natural markings on the animal's face and muzzle.

Sharp, crimson lines lined the corners around the beast's mouth and an indigo crescent moon rested on its forehead. Kagome had only ever seen this colossal creature a handful of other times, but it was unforgettable and one of a kind.

All that she could do was stare dumbly at the great dog demon before her as his name tumbled past trembling, pale lips. "Sesshoumaru…"

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AN: So what did you think?? It's been a while since I've done anything like this, and I've had the idea tumbling around in my mind for some time. I have to admit that I'm really happy with the way this first chapter has turned out! Hope you enjoyed and I'll see everyone later!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I'm so glad you guys like my story! I'm really excited about this. Sorry about the cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter, I hope this makes up for it!

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

True Legends

Chapter 2

_**"There is a legend. And to protest is daft." -- Peter O'Toole**_

Kagome could feel her heart hammering inside her chest as that giant red and teal eye seemed to stare straight through to her very soul. _'Sesshoumaru…what are you doing here?'_ She thought.

Taking a slow, cautious step to the side but never taking her eyes off of him, Kagome tried to take a better look at the large dog demon. He was lying down but was still massive. She turned on the spotlight feature of her flashlight to get a better look at him, and what she saw both shocked and saddened. Not only was his coat dirty but he'd gotten dangerously thin and appeared malnourishment. "What happened to you??" She whispered more to herself than to him, but she certainly got an answer.

Kagome quickly pressed herself against the stone wall as a giant set of teeth snapped at her. But when she saw him lay his head on the ground after the quick movement she knew that at this point he was much more bark than bite even if he was still growling and snarling at her. He didn't have the energy to do much more than growl, but she could see the killing intent in his eyes that followed her every movement. "Sesshoumaru…do you not remember me?" She asked softly.

He let out a snarl and swiped a giant paw at her as his eyes grew a deeper shade of crimson. Her presence was making him angrier with each passing moment, but he couldn't rip her to pieces like he wished. Even if he did have the energy to fully attack her, he couldn't do so in this form. As large as the cavern was, Sesshoumaru's true form left little room for excessive movement.

Making sure that she was out of his range of movement, Kagome tried talking to him again. "Sesshoumaru, do you remember me? My name's Kagome. I traveled with your brother five hundred years ago when we were searching for the jewel shards and Naraku." When he lunged at her as much as he could while snapping at her once more, Kagome knew that he didn't recognize her and she was going to have to try a different approach. "Look," she said as she slowly pulled a small, pink jewel on the chain she wore out from under her shirt. "See? You may not remember me anymore, but you have to know what this is. After we killed Naraku we got all of the shards together and then the girl that fused them together disappeared from the field. I was that girl. Do you remember me now?"

She held her breath and waited for some kind of recognition. They may never have been terribly close in the past but there was no way that she could just leave him there in the condition that he was in. Slowly, his growling ceased but he was still glaring heatedly at her. _'It's a step,'_ she thought.

Kagome quickly scanned the cavern again to see how much room he had to move and if there were any other exits when some of the light from her flashlight reflected back at her. She walked to the other side of the wide entrance she'd come through and found the source of the reflection. Sticking out of the ground with its sheath lying perpendicular to it on the ground was his father's fang, the Tenseiga.

She reached out to pull it from the dirt, but a light rumbling began to echo from Sesshoumaru's chest and she decided against removing it. _'He must be using this as a ward so that nothing can find him…'_

"Sesshoumaru," she began softly so that she didn't upset him. "Can I take a closer look at you now? I want to help you out of this cave."

Sesshoumaru's glare sharpened on her for a moment before he turned his gaze from her completely. Taking that as a reluctant "yes," Kagome moved to his side once again and started taking note of just how bad of a condition he was in. She could now see that his ribcage was clearly visible as well as most of his vertebrae and joints. His coat wasn't only dirty but had dulled due to poor health. She reached out to lightly touch the fur that she was sure had been like silk at one point, but she immediately cringed at the coarse, oily texture. Her eyes widened and she felt her stomach drop when her hand came back with a large portion of matted fur. She hadn't even rubbed that hard!

Kagome felt a sense of panic set in when she realized that he was slowly dying. There was no way that he'd only been there a few decades; he was too far gone. He must have been there for at least a couple of centuries. To see Sesshoumaru, who was probably one of the most powerful demons in the world at one time, reduced to this made tears burn at the backs of Kagome's eyes. It just wasn't right.

Running back around to stand in front of him and taking in how sunken his eyes seemed now, Kagome tried talking to the great demon lord again. "I have to get you out of here, Sesshoumaru. I don't see any other exits that you'll fit through. Can you take your human form? I could help you move if you were smaller," she explained as she walked over and pulled Tenseiga from the ground to sheath it. As soon as the sword was put away, Kagome was hit with what she recognized as Sesshoumaru's demonic energy. She wasn't the only one that felt it either, because she could hear the echo of Kouga's wolves howling from the cave's entrance.

She turned back around to see Sesshoumaru watching her with a wary eye. "Please Sesshoumaru…you have to try to get to a smaller form. If you stay here like this you're going to die. It may not be for another few years, but I'm sure it will be sooner than you'd like." She wanted to yell. She wanted to scream about what an idiot he was for staying there and letting himself get to this point. But that would probably only make things worse, so she kept her composure and tried her best to reason with him.

She watched as his body started to emit a dull glow and she was hopeful that she would be able to get him some help soon. But all hope died when the light gave a shudder and his energy fluctuated dangerously to the point of almost disappearing. She watched as his large eyes slowly closed before she ran up to him and patted his muzzle. "Sesshoumaru! No, don't go to sleep. You have to stay awake so that we can figure this out!" There went that composure.

A soft growling was heard and she was truly worried that the sound was all he could do after trying to use that much energy. It must have been the reason he hadn't left the cave in such a long time. He had unwittingly trapped himself within the caves after losing so much energy. Now he couldn't get out and had no way to replenish the energy lost. Well she would fix that.

"Sesshoumaru, you just…just…" she wanted to say "stay here," but what other choice did he have? "Look, I'll be right back, okay??" And with that said she darted back to the cave's entrance while sending a silent prayer that she hadn't caused his premature death by asking him to expend what energy he had left.

As she ran from the cave and into the forest Kagome could hear Kouga's wolves running beside and behind her. They guided her back to their campsite, and she began rummaging through her pack to see what she had with her. Turning to the black and grey canines she said, "I want you two to find something for him to eat. It needs to be something big; a deer maybe. If you absolutely have to, go to one of the farms near the village and get a cow or a couple of sheep. Bring whatever you find back to the cave, and we'll meet you there." Kagome then watched as the two ran into the darkness to carry out her orders.

She then set about disassembling her tent. Gathering up the poles, stakes, and rain tarp, she tied them in a bundle and slung it and everything else from the camp over her shoulder before grabbing the three buckets that she'd brought along. "Show me where the river is," she said as the brown wolf left with her led the way. Once there, she filled all three buckets and handed one off to her companion before they started their way back towards the cave. It was still very dark and she was having trouble avoiding trees and rocks by the scattered moonlight alone. With both hands preoccupied with carrying the water, Kagome had been forced to put her flashlight away.

It wasn't a surprise that the two carrying water made it back to the cave first. After a little coaxing and reassurance, Kagome was able to get the wolf to follow her into the cave where the giant dog demon lay. Sesshoumaru still had his eyes shut and appeared to be sleeping, but his shallow, ragged breathing had Kagome concerned. She set the buckets to the side and went about fixing a drinking pool. Tying the tent poles to the stakes and the corners of the rain tarp to the poles, she was able to make a giant water bowl once the stakes were firmly placed in the dirt.

Kagome realized that they had a long night ahead of them when she poured all three buckets of water into the tarp and they only made a small puddle in comparison. So, picking up the buckets again, she and the brown wolf made their way back to the river for more water. They had made three more trips when the other two wolves showed up at the caves with a large deer and wild boar in tow. With the other two wolves back, she was able to stay at the cave while they made the last couple of trips to the river for the last of the water they would need.

Her next step was to build a small fire so that her flashlight's battery wouldn't run down. She'd been using it since she set up the bowl, and she wasn't sure how much longer it would last. She gathered wood from just outside the cave along with a few rocks for a small pit. It was easy to get things going with the lighter she carried around in her pocket. But now it was time for the really hard part: getting Sesshoumaru to eat and drink. Maybe if he got something in him, he'd have enough energy to reach a smaller form.

"Sesshoumaru," she said gently as she approached his head. "I have some food and water for you, but you need to wake up." One giant eye cracked open but soon closed as he remained still. "Come on, you have to work with me a little bit on this." But he still didn't move.

_'Fine…if you're going to be that way,'_ she thought before walking around to the right side of his head and bracing her back against his muzzle. She began to push hard with her legs hoping to get his face close enough to the water for him to only have to move a little bit. Only a small bit of progress had been made—about a foot or so—when the three wolves returned with their final buckets.

Kagome wasn't sure if it was the presence of the wolves that caused him to stir or if he had just gotten fed up with her shoving his head, but Sesshoumaru finally moved on his own to drink the gathered water. This of course caused Kagome to fall backwards and flip over once before landing solidly on her back. She tried not to get annoyed and simply emptied the last few buckets into the growing pool.

Sitting down for a moment to catch her breath, Kagome thought about what was left and cringed. She definitely wasn't looking forward to this. Unhooking the small ax from the side of her pack, she made her way over to the bodies of the animals that had been brought back for food. Kagome took a deep breath before lining up her swing, closing her eyes, and bringing the ax down with a heavy force to partially decapitate the deer. After another couple of swings and getting blood splatter on her arms and legs and clothes, she had the animal's head separated from the body and continued the process until the creature was nothing more than four separate legs and two pieces of a torso.

She knew that Sesshoumaru could probably eat each animal in a single bite with those massive jaws, but she didn't want to put too much strain on him. But on the other hand, there wasn't any sense in cutting up smaller pieces of meat because then it would be too small and not worth chewing. So, ignoring the blood and the sickening feeling in her stomach, Kagome drug body parts over to Sesshoumaru a piece at a time and waited for him to open his mouth before throwing each bit inside. It was frightening to stand in front of all those teeth and fangs as she fed him, but it needed to be done.

She repeated the process with the boar and tried to ignore the dark red smears that seemed to now cover most of her body. She had seen Inuyasha clean and prepare animals that he'd caught before while they were traveling, but she had never taken part of it. It was an experience that made her stomach turn, and she decided that those would be some of the memories that she would have to repress at a later time.

Kagome was brought out of her thoughts as she felt long licks going up and down her legs. Kouga's wolves were licking the blood off of her legs! _'Okay,'_ she thought. _'It's definitely time for a bath.'_

Batting away her personal bath service Kagome announced, "I'm going to the river to wash up. One of you can come with me so that I know the way back, but I want the other two to stay here. If anything happens be sure to come get me immediately." Picking up her flashlight and starting out of the cave Kagome caught a glimpse of brown by her side and briefly thought that this particular wolf must be getting attached to her after being with her on most of her little excursions that she only needed one companion for.

She was glad when they finally made it to the river and she could strip down and get the sticky, partially dried blood off of her skin. The water was frigid, but she didn't have much choice in this situation. While she was watching the red water flow away from her, Kagome was finally able to take a moment and let everything absorb into her mind.

She had found _Sesshoumaru_. The great demon lord who had vanished centuries ago was lying in a cave a few hundred feet from where she was now. Inuyasha was going to flip.

"Oh God…Inuyasha…" She thought aloud. It was the first time she'd thought about her friend since her discovery. But in her defense she'd probably been in a mild state of shock.

Once her bath was finished she dressed in some clean clothes and made her way back to the cave thanks to the guidance of the brown wolf that had tagged along. Sesshoumaru had finished his food and water and apparently gone back to sleep by the time she returned. Opting for the less bloody side of the cave, Kagome settled down for the night against the stone wall and let her mind swarm with thoughts and ideas on how to get Sesshoumaru back to her Jeep after she got him out of the cave. The trees were too thick for her to drive to the cave and she was willing to bet that Sesshoumaru wouldn't be able to walk that far.

Her mind continued to race until she eventually fell asleep sitting up with three wolves lounging around her.

She was awoken a few hours later by a wet nose nuzzling her neck and cheek. Blinking sleepily a few times, she was able to focus her vision and see what was going on. The black nose continued with its light pushes until she finally came around and noticed that Sesshoumaru's giant body had been condensed to something much smaller but still not humanoid. He still looked like a dog, but he was now about the size of a young horse. It would have to do.

She walked over to kneel next to the unmoving demon and lay a hand on his side. She could feel a faint, fluttering heartbeat and his shallow breaths. Somehow he looked even thinner now that he was smaller despite having eaten the previous night. There was only one way that she was getting him out of the cave.

Disassembling the empty make-shift water bowl allowed Kagome to flip the rain tarp over so that the dry side was facing up. She put it as close to Sesshoumaru as she could and got ready to try to move his body. It took a few minutes of looking around his form, but she finally decided that the best course would be to work her hands under the front portion of his body and drag him onto the tarp. This of course elicited much growling and a weak snarl, but it was for his own good.

Kagome then tied the front corners of the tarp to two of the wolves' necks using some rope and gathered her things along with the Tenseiga. When they made it out of the cave she could see that it was only an hour or so after dawn. Their pace was slow as they made their way back to the overgrown road and Kagome's Jeep; she didn't want Sesshoumaru to slide off of the tarp.

As they drew closer to the road Kagome noticed a small ledge probably caused by erosion not far from where her Jeep should have been parked. "Take him over there and I'll drive up to meet you," she directed to the wolves before taking off on her own. She slung her things into the passenger seat and quickly started the vehicle before taking off up the road another hundred feet or so. It took almost hitting a tree and a multi-point turn, but Kagome was finally able to line the back of her vehicle up with the ledge.

Laying her backseats down and opening the rear door as far as it would go, she carefully finished backing up until she was as close as she could get. It was a little bit of a drop, but she was able to finish pulling Sesshoumaru into the storage area before pulling forward again to shut the door and get the convertible top up and in place. "Alright guys," she addressed her little helpers. "You can go back to Kouga now, but don't tell him about any of this. I don't want the others to know just yet, alright? If you keep this our little secret I promise to bring you some steaks later in the week for being good boys." She knew that her deal had been accepted when she was tackled and assaulted with wet tongues. "Okay, okay! You get going. I really need to get him back to my house so I can take care of him better."

She watched the three run off and disappear into the underbrush before starting her way back down the mountain and then to the highway. This trip definitely hadn't gone the way she had been expecting…

----------

Using a back driveway usually only used for delivery trucks during festivals, Kagome pulled in behind the main buildings of the shrine and quickly parked. Sesshoumaru had been silent during the drive and she was starting to assume the worst. When she got around to the back and opened the door, her face instantly fell. He was asleep. His breathing was shallow but even and she could see his eyes moving beneath the lids. Looks like Sesshoumaru was like everyone else and fell asleep on long car rides.

The fresh air alone was probably helping his breathing. There was no telling what was in the stagnant air of that cave. Kagome grabbed a few boards out of the storage room and propped them against her bumper to act as a ramp before tugging on the tarp and sliding Sesshoumaru to the ground. He opened his eyes slightly and she noticed that they weren't the red of earlier but a deep gold. "You're at my house in the city now. I'm going to take care of you," she said soothingly.

Sesshoumaru didn't make any motion to acknowledge her, but still kept his eyes on her until she ran into the house. Kagome emerged a few minutes later with a dog brush she'd planned on giving Inuyasha as a gag-gift but decided to put to better use. She wanted to give him a bath a little later, but there was no sense in clogging up the drain when she could groom away the shedding fur now.

She sat down beside him and began to slowly and gently brush out his coat. There were several tangles and mats that she had to work through and things were going fairly well until she got up to his shoulder blades. She didn't feel one knot until it was too late and it gave a sharp tug.

Kagome wasn't aware of the tangle or the vicious snarl Sesshoumaru let out until a few moments later. What currently held her attention was her left arm which resided between Sesshoumaru's jaws and was being pierced by his sharp fangs. He had moved much faster than she would have expected him to move and didn't have time to pull away before he clamped down on her. There was a silent moment of shock before the pain set in. He was easily able to break skin and cause her blood to flow, but luckily he was still too weak to break the bone. She wanted to jerk her arm away, but knew that it would only tear her skin and possibly damage his teeth as well. So she fought through the pain and nausea of watching her blood fill his mouth before flowing down his chin and dripping to the ground. "S-Sesshoumaru," she stuttered, "let go of my arm." She wanted to cry due to the pain. It was getting harder for her to keep her breathing normal the longer that he held on.

He showed no signs of letting go and instead bit down a little harder as if to prove a point while growling and showing his teeth. So she reached out with a shaking hand and gripped down on either side of his jaw before squeezing lightly. His mouth reluctantly opened and she quickly pulled both of her hands away and scooted back a few feet. He was glaring at her as his eyes began to get a pink tint around the edges. The farther she pushed away from him, the calmer he became until she finally went inside the house.

She watched from the window above the kitchen sink as she rinsed her arm and quickly examined the deep puncture wounds left behind. Reaching into one of the top cabinets, Kagome pulled out a first-aid kit with bandages and proceeded to wrap the area. She frowned when small spots of red already began to show through the white gauze. Great, she was going to have to go to the emergency room for stitches.

But she couldn't just leave Sesshoumaru lying outside. There was no telling what would happen if he was left alone in the middle of Tokyo.

Kagome watched for a few more minutes as he tried to stand on shaky legs but didn't get far beyond a sitting position before falling back down. She walked back outside and watched him cautiously before slowly approaching him. He was still glaring at her, but he'd stopped growling. She reached down to grab the tarp as best as she could with an injured arm and began to drag him inside the house. It was moments like these that she was glad that she lived alone.

While she had been in college her grandfather had received a call and been asked to take over the shrine in another city since Kagome was now old enough to take over the duties at Sunset Shrine. From what she'd been told, the priest from the other shrine had died unexpectedly and there wasn't anyone else in the area to care for it. Her mother and brother had moved with him so that they could help much like they did at their shrine in Tokyo. It also sounded like he would be taking on an apprentice to pass the shrine to one day.

But once Kagome had her new guest inside the house, she took him to one of the guest rooms on the first floor. She left him on the tarp for now, but she brought in a bowl of water and set it near him so that he wouldn't be thirsty while she was gone. "I'll be back soon, okay? Please don't tear anything up."

She walked out of the room and shut the door but thought better of the situation and headed to her office instead of the back door. She wrote up a few containment sutras before posting one on either side of the door and then on the door itself. She then went outside and stuck one on each of the windows to the room. Kagome wasn't taking any chances at this point.

Driving to the hospital was an experience. Her bandages were a nice shade of crimson now and were becoming damp to the touch. She didn't have to wait long when she stumbled through the emergency room doors. With the amount of blood that was on the ground at the shrine, down the sink, and now running down her arm again, Kagome was starting to get a little light-headed. The stitches had gone well as they closed up the holes in her arm, they'd given her something to drink to dispel the dizziness, and she was on her way back home within a couple of hours.

All was quiet when she stepped through the door and she was hoping that she could take that as a good sign. She slowly opened the guest room door and saw that Sesshoumaru was still lying on the tarp she'd left him on, wide awake and looking directly at her.

Not wanting to get too close this time, Kagome simply swung the bedroom door open and backed up until she came in contact with the hallway wall. She slid down until she was sitting on the floor with one leg extended straight out and the other pulled up against her. From there she proceeded to have a staring contest with the golden-eyed dog lying in front of her. His eyes no longer held the anger and contempt she'd seen for the past eighteen hours or so. In fact, they didn't hold much of anything. His eyes reminded her of how he looked five centuries ago. It served as a clear reminder of who she was dealing with. This wasn't some injured stray that she'd picked up. This was Lord Sesshoumaru of the West. At least that's who he _used_ to be.

Kagome realized for the first time just how much things had changed in the world since the last time that he'd seen it. There were so many things that he'd missed, so many things that he would need to learn or re-learn. She highly doubted that Inuyasha was going to be happy about his brother's return, much less want to teach him. But Sesshoumaru didn't really know anyone in this time except for herself and Inuyasha. He had met Shippou and Kouga a few times, but not enough to be willing to learn anything from them.

The weight of the act of taking Sesshoumaru from the cave in that mountain was finally setting in, and Kagome wasn't sure if she could handle it. She placed her face in her hands trying to will away the coming headache. After a few deep breaths to clear her mind, Kagome drug her hands down her face and stared at the demon lord once again.

What had she gotten herself into?

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

AN: I hope everyone liked this chapter and weren't disappointed! Sesshoumaru was naughty biting Kagome like that. But I suppose it was more of an instinctual reaction than anything…Well, feedback is appreciated but otherwise I guess I'll just see you guys next time around!!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

True Legends

Chapter 3

_**"Legends die hard. They survive as truth rarely does." -- Helen Hayes**_

Kagome was pacing in front of her kitchen phone. She couldn't keep Sesshoumaru here. In his animal form she couldn't really communicate with him. She wasn't completely sure that he knew who she was or if he was even in his right mind anymore. A few hundred years alone in a cave was bound to have some sort of effect on your psyche. A normal Sesshoumaru was difficult enough to deal with. There was no way that she could handle caring for him while he was like this. What had she been thinking?! Kagome found herself questioning her own sanity not for the first time that day.

The only thing left that she could do was call Inuyasha and try to work something out. But first she had to work up the nerve to do so. The last time that she'd brought up the topic of her friend's older brother things hadn't gone very well. That talk was still very clear in her mind…

"So we've covered what you, Kouga, and Shippou are doing these days," she'd started. "What's Sesshoumaru up to? Let me guess—running a multi-million dollar company somewhere?" She laughed a little at the thought, but went quiet as soon as she saw how tense her lunch guest had gotten.

"No, Kagome." His voice was hard and cold. "I don't know where he is; nobody does. A century or two after you left, he just disappeared."

Kagome didn't know what to say. Sesshoumaru had too much pride in his station to just abandon his lands. Something must have happened…had he died?? That couldn't be it. Kagome couldn't even begin to wrap her mind around the possibility of someone as strong as Sesshoumaru dying. "So…there weren't any signs? You can't just vanish into thin air, Inuyasha."

"Well he damn sure figured out a way!" The half-demon shouted. But he settled down when he saw how he'd startled Kagome. This had become something of a sensitive subject for him over the years. "The last rumors I heard about him said that he was watching over a small village at the base of some mountains in the West. Then a large-scale demon extermination started. A lot of people were killed—human and demon alike. It forced a lot of us to go into hiding for a while and we started watching our population numbers more closely; the smaller our numbers, the less likely it was that there would be a repeat."

"So it was just one big massacre?" Kagome asked unbelieving.

Inuyasha snorted in response. "Of course not! It almost turned into an all-out war. We would have won, but one year there was an increase in humans born with holy powers. Once they were trained to fight at long ranges like you did, it was more-or-less over." Kagome could hear the tightness of his voice and suddenly felt slightly ashamed to be human. "But Sesshoumaru hadn't been heard from for a while before that. If he hadn't just disappeared like that…we wouldn't have lost so many."

"I know he was strong, but I don't see how Sesshoumaru could have prevented what happened." Part of her nature dictated that Kagome stand up for those who weren't around to defend themselves.

"He could have. Sesshoumaru grew up surrounded by some of the best generals that the demon race had to offer. You don't get it, Kagome. He wasn't just strong. He was a damn good strategist. On top of that, he had authority. We could have organized better, we could have had a plan, but we didn't know what we were doing by ourselves. We all lost people that we cared about…" He trailed off.

Kagome gently laid a hand on his arm in a silent bid for him to continue. She needed to know what had happened.

"Shippou lost Souten. He started courting her after running into her while getting some herbs he needed. He won't admit to it, but I'm almost positive that he was planning on making her his mate," his voice sounded like one of a proud father, though Kagome was sure that he wasn't aware of it. "I lost Kagura—"

Kagome choked. "Kagura?!"

Inuyasha smirked at her. "Yeah, that's what I thought too when the thought finally caught up with me. But she wasn't so bad once she got her heart back. She even lost Naraku's scent after a while and began to smell like a meadow breeze."

Kagome wasn't sure what to think about that, but she wanted to be happy that her friend found love even if it was relatively short lived. She nodded for him to continue, but felt her stomach drop at his now-grim expression.

"Kouga…he probably got it the worst. He and Ayame lost their first four cubs to the human hunters. Ayame almost couldn't cope. She refused to try to have more cubs for over a century. It almost tore their relationship apart." Inuyasha may not have like Kouga very much, but even he had to admit that something like that shouldn't have to happen to anyone.

Kagome tried to hold back her tears. She'd seen Kouga a few times since Inuyasha had showed up at her house that one evening after school, but he'd never mentioned anything like that happening. She hadn't seen Ayame at all, but now Kagome wasn't sure if she could face the she-wolf without letting her sympathy show. And if the couple was just starting to really get over their loss then the last thing they needed was someone bringing up bad memories. Her attention was drawn back to Inuyasha when he sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Kagome, I made peace with the fact that my brother hated me and was a complete ass a long time ago. But we never expected him to abandon our kind. I'm not the only one who thinks this way; those of us that were around for the fighting all agree. Sesshoumaru could have changed the outcome of those battles." And then his eyes took on a hard gleam as he stared straight at her. "I don't know where he went, but for his sake I hope he never comes back. There are a lot of people who are still really pissed at him."

Kagome continued to stare at her kitchen phone in a memory-induced daze. Would Inuyasha want to kill Sesshoumaru for disappearing? _'Maybe he'll understand if I explain how I found him…'_ She hoped as she reached for the phone.

But she was interrupted and let out a startled scream when a light buzzing came from her front pocket. Wanting the sensation to stop, Kagome removed the phone and opened it without checking her display screen to see who was calling her. "Hello?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were already back?" Came the response.

Kagome could practically feel the blood draining from her face when she heard Inuyasha's voice. "Sorry, Inuyasha," she tried to keep the anxiety out of her voice. "It must have slipped my mind. You know how I get when I get home from these trips; I always want to go over my information first!" She laughed weakly.

"Well I'm coming over and you can tell me about it. I'll pick up something for an early supper. I should be there in about an hour!" Kagome was about to protest when she heard a click as the line went dead.

Staring at the phone with wide eyes for a moment, Kagome let the only thought she could manage fall from her lips. "CRAP!" That stubborn half-demon that she called a best friend was on his way over and his estranged older brother was in her guest room.

Kagome took off down the hallway to her office once more to grab her calligraphy brush. She didn't notice the odd looks Sesshoumaru was giving her as she made a few modifications to the wards she'd put around the entrances to the room. "I'll be right back!" She told him in a rushed tone before darting away from the doorway.

She ran outside and pulled all of the stuff out of her Jeep before depositing it by the back door. Then Kagome noticed the dried blood on the otherwise pristine concrete from where Sesshoumaru had bitten her. She grabbed the water hose and tried to wash it away, but only some of it lifted. Running back inside the house and to the refrigerator, she grabbed an almost full two-liter of Coca-Cola before returning back to the stain. She slowly poured the drink over the blood and watched as it began to dissolve before she washed everything away with the hose. There were still some pinkish splotches here and there, but nothing you would notice at a glance.

Kagome then hoped in her Jeep before taking it to its usual parking spot on the other side of the house. She moved all of her hiking gear and equipment to its designated closet in record time. It would probably be best if she tried to feed Sesshoumaru again before Inuyasha got there.

Rummaging around in the kitchen didn't turn up much, but she was able to find some beef broth to heat up along with some ground beef that was still good. The liquid was warmed quickly and poured into a large bowl and the meat was placed in another bowl. Kagome noted that she wouldn't be able to cook much for a while since Sesshoumaru was using most of her mixing bowls. One at a time was taken into the guest room so that nothing was spilled and Kagome finally began to calm down slightly when she refilled Sesshoumaru's water and closed the bedroom door to leave him on his own.

A quick look at her dirty, bloody, and ripped clothing signaled that she was going to need a quick shower before Inuyasha got there and started asking questions that she really didn't want to answer. But she needed to try to keep her freshly stitched and bandaged arm relatively dry. Kagome ran different possibilities through her head, brushing off each one, until one struck her as actually plausible. She rushed to the kitchen and searched her cabinets until she found the item she was after: saran wrap.

Wrapping a few layers around her forearm and cutting the sheet, Kagome secured everything in place with one rubber band near her elbow and one at her wrist. "Now to get a shower and get out before this cuts off my circulation," she mumbled before heading for the bathroom connected to her master bedroom.

The shower was quick yet relaxing. By the time she stepped out of the steaming water, Kagome had almost forgotten why she had needed a bath so badly…almost. She removed the rubber bands and plastic wrap to reveal dry bandages save for a little blood. Gently removing them, she grabbed a few cotton balls and some peroxide before cleaning the several small wounds that dotted her arm and gently wiping away any remaining grime.

A new set of bandages and some clean clothes later, Kagome was pinning up her damp hair as she walked to open the door for the impatient half-demon that she knew was waiting on the other side. She spotted a light sweat-jacket hanging near the door and quickly pulled it on over the tank top she wore so that the sleeves would cover her arm. "Hey Inuyasha," she greeted with a smile as she stepped aside to let the older man into her home. "I just got home this afternoon. Is there any particular reason that you feel like you have to come see me as soon as I get back?"

Inuyasha scoffed as he set the plastic bags containing their food down on the kitchen table. "As often as I had to rescue your ass while we looked for those jewel shards, you're lucky I don't go on those trips with you."

Kagome just waved him off as she shut the door and followed him to the kitchen. "Fine, fine. So what did you get us for supper this time?"

"I thought some sautéed liver and asparagus from that restaurant uptown would be nice," he answered with an evil grin. And he couldn't help but laugh when he got his desired reaction; Kagome faltered in her steps and turned to look at him as though he'd struck her. As the color continued to drain from her features, Inuyasha rolled his eyes and said, "Look in the bag, stupid."

With a lightly trembling hand, Kagome reached out to open the open the bags with a light rustling sound before sighing in relief when she spotted bowls from her favorite little corner shop for oden. After hacking apart those animals and feeding them to Sesshoumaru, Kagome really didn't want to think about any kind of internal organs, edible or not. Besides, she hated liver!

As Inuyasha continued to laugh at her, Kagome picked up the pepper shaker from the table and aimed for his head. "You jerk!" She laughed. "That's not funny. Sit down while I get some glasses. What do you want to drink?"

"What do you have?"

"Ummm…" Kagome checked her refrigerator. "I have milk, orange juice, water, or I could make us some tea."

"Kagome Higurashi doesn't have soda in her house? Is the world ending?" Inuyasha asked as he laughed at her nervous blush. Little did he know that she had polished off the rest of her favorite drink trying to get rid of a blood stain. "Water's fine."

Kagome listened to Inuyasha rattle of the usual status reports on her friends that she didn't see nearly as often as him while she reached for two glasses on one of the higher shelves. Inuyasha, in turn, sat at the table taking their meals out of the bags. But his ears twitched when his delicate hearing picked up the brush of soft fabric against something with a more coarse texture. He looked up at Kagome to see the sleeve of her jacket sliding up her arm as she stretched which revealed a glimpse of the white bandages that rested underneath.

Kagome jumped and nearly dropped the newly acquired glasses as she heard Inuyasha's chair scrape across the floor due to his abrupt stand. He stalked toward her with a serious look and she grew increasingly nervous. She had no idea what he was doing until he grabbed her injured arm and tugged the sleeve up to her elbow. "Why didn't you tell me you were hurt? How did this happen? Have you had it treated yet?" He may have fallen into the role of her best friend, but Inuyasha had never stopped loving the girl from the future. If he didn't look old enough to be her father, he would have tried to pursue her in a romantic manner. But now, for as long as she would allow, he would be her protector.

"Nothing _Dad_," she teased while trying to pull her arm away from him. She grew increasingly nervous as his grip held firm. "I fell in the woods and cut my arm on a rock. You know how it goes sometimes. I've already been to the hospital and had them look at it. I'm fine. Now if you don't mind—" she tried to pull her arm away again.

"It was bad enough that you went to the hospital?"

"Just a couple of stitches, nothing major," she tried to placate him, but it didn't seem to be working. When he began to bring her arm up to his face her eyes widened and she jerked back before asking, "What are you doing?"

"You got this in the woods. There may be an infection that they missed at the hospital. Inferior human senses can't catch a damn thing…" Inuyasha mumbled before bringing her arm up once more and taking a deep breath through his nose before she could object again. His brow furrowed. Something wasn't right.

He began to sniff again, trying to place what was off. It was faint, but there was another smell there. The source seemed so familiar and foreign to him all at the same time. An image was trying to collect in his mind's eye, but it was blurry. Taking in and analyzing breath after breath, the image steadily became clearer until he stopped all together and turned accusing eyes onto his friend. With the swift flick of a claw, Inuyasha pulled the bandages from Kagome's arm and stared at the small, stitched up puncture marks marring her skin. He took another sniff with no interference this time and growled deep in his chest. _'Sesshoumaru,'_ he thought.

Without saying a word to Kagome, Inuyasha turned away from her and began to sort through the smells of the house a little more closely. Again, it was faint, but his brother's scent was definitely present. How had he not noticed before? He'd had no reason to look for it and hadn't come across it in centuries. His best friend—his eyes darted to Kagome—wouldn't hide this from him. Maybe he was wrong.

Inuyasha followed the scent out of the kitchen and down the hallway before coming to stand before what he knew to be the guest bedroom door. Only now the door had two wards on either side and one in the center. He pushed the door open, ignoring the sound of Kagome approaching him, and stared at an impossibly large, dirty dog. _This_ was his brother? His eyes said no, but Inuyasha trusted his nose more and it was screaming yes. Stunned eyes flickered to Kagome once more as she reached his side and he caught a glimpse of her injured arm again. It was then that his shocked mind seemed to connect the bite to his canine brother lying before him.

Kagome wasn't sure what to do. She was terrified. There was no way to tell what action Inuyasha was going to take and she didn't know if Sesshoumaru would try or even be able to do anything in return. But when the white of Inuyasha's eyes began to tint pink, she knew there was bound to be trouble.

"You son of a bitch! What the hell did you do to her?!" He yelled. "Not only did you leave your kind to die at the hands of those damned humans, but you bit the woman I love while she was obviously trying to help your pathetic ass!" The words were just coming out; Inuyasha wasn't even realizing what he was saying. His fists were clenched tightly at his side as his shoulders trembled with barely restrained rage. He'd waited centuries to confront his brother and this was what he got? A half-dead shell of a demon lord? "You bastard…" he mumbled softly before yelling, "I'll kill you!"

Inuyasha launched himself towards the doorway only to hit a solid yet invisible wall. Growling at the wards by the door, he beat against the energy keeping him away from his target until he was repelled completely and collided with the opposite wall. As he slid down and sat on the floor, Inuyasha couldn't stop the heavy weight that came with the feeling of betrayal.

Kagome crouched down next to her friend and cautiously reached out to place a hand on his shoulder only to have the appendage slapped away. Inuyasha didn't look at her, and if she knew him at all she knew that she didn't want him to. His eyes would be too heavy and hurt for her to handle right now. "Inuyasha," she began, "I'm sorry—" but she was cut off.

"Don't." It was a simple demand. "Just don't start, Kagome." Inuyasha slowly rose to his feet and glared at his growling brother before stepping towards the door once more. "Sesshoumaru, you are not to hurt her again. Do you understand me?"

Kagome heard a responding growl, this one more guttural than the previous. Her attention turned back to Inuyasha when he spoke again.

"Don't act like you don't know who I am, Sesshoumaru! You will NOT harm her again. If you do, I will come back here and I will kill you. I'll bring Tetsusaiga and nothing will get in my way."

Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru glanced at her as she looked past Inuyasha and into the room. He answered with another low series of growls. But this time his answer came in a more animalistic form from Inuyasha. Apparently there were parts of this conversation that they didn't want her to know about. When Sesshoumaru didn't answer and instead just glared at his brother, Inuyasha gave a curt nod and turned away from the room sharply to leave.

Following her friend back into the kitchen, Kagome watched quietly as Inuyasha pulled his wallet out of his pocket and took a small plastic card out of one of the slots. He placed it on the kitchen table before explaining with his back still turned to her, "He's going to be eating a lot while he's on the mend. No matter how angry I am at him, he's still my half-brother and I'll take financial responsibility for him. I'm not going to let him bankrupt you. Use this credit card for everything he needs. If he gives you trouble, call me. But otherwise, Kagome," he said before glancing over his shoulder. "Please don't talk to me for a while."

He turned away before he could see her tears and left the house quietly.

When the door shut, Kagome felt her throat begin to constrict as more tears trailed down her cheeks. Bringing Sesshoumaru to her home may have ruined one of the closest friendships she had. But she couldn't have left him alone in the mountains to die. She felt horribly conflicted. She didn't want to choose between the two brothers. She knew which one she wanted to choose, but he wasn't the one who needed her. Sesshoumaru didn't have anyone else and would probably die on his own. She couldn't turn him away now. Her conscience and principles wouldn't allow it. And so, until he was able to care for himself in a world that he had never really seen before, Kagome had to resign herself to being Sesshoumaru's primary caretaker…no matter how much it hurt her or those she loved.

**O-O-O-O-O-O-O**

AN: Sorry it took so long for me to do this. Reality is trying to kill me. So tired…must sleep. Sorry for any errors. I think I got most of it, but I double check again when I'm slightly more conscious. To those in the US: Happy Turkey Day (aka Thanksgiving). To those not in the US: Happy Thursday. Hope you enjoyed! Nighty night.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Yay! No more hiatus!

Disclaimer: I don't own, please don't sue!

* * *

True Legends

Chapter Four

_**"Legends are best left as legends, and attempts to make them real are rarely successful." - Michael Moorcock**_

Kagome sighed as she entered her home and kicked off her shoes. She loved the kids that she had in her classes, but some days they were adolescent hellions. Her sock feet made soft padding sounds on the tile of the kitchen and became silent on the carpet of the hall. She stopped to hang her jacket and bag in the hall closet before looking a few doors down with a small amount of apprehension.

Steeling her nerves, Kagome walked down to the warded door and gently turned the knob. The door swung open to reveal the great white dog that she had brought down from the mountains almost one week prior.

With the help of Inuyasha's credit card, Sesshoumaru had been able to put on a noticeable amount of weight. He wasn't nearly as bulky as Kagome was sure he should be, but he no longer looked like a fur-draped skeleton. His eyes were no longer glassy, and it seemed as though his body had started to repair itself as he had lost and regrown several pearly white fangs.

Kagome glanced to Sesshoumaru's several bowls and saw that all were empty. As she stepped past the doorway's barrier and into the room she said, "Let me refill these for you, and then we're going to have a…well, a pretty one-sided chat."

Returning to the kitchen, Kagome placed all of the bowls in the sink so that she could wash them before putting more food in them. With Sesshoumaru still recovering, Kagome didn't want to take the chance of food borne bacteria making its way into his system. Retrieving her sponge and dish soap after placing chicken broth on the stove to heat, Kagome began the almost meditative task of washing dishes.

Considering everything that had transpired the previous weekend, the week had been pretty uneventful. Kagome went to work, graded papers, cooked, cleaned, and everything else she usually did during the week; the only difference was that she occasionally had to refill the bowls of a malnourished yet aloof dog demon. Inuyasha still wasn't answering or returning her calls. Sighing, she thought, _'I can't really blame him. I knew exactly how he felt about Sesshoumaru's disappearance, and I shouldn't have tried to hide him.' _Placing the last bowl on the counter to be dried, she narrowed her eyes slightly in aggravation. "He didn't have to yell at me like that, though."

It only took a few minutes to dry the large plastic bowls and line them up to receive their fillings. The first bowl was filled with several trays of ice and then filled the rest of the way with water. The second bowl was filled with various chopped vegetables that she had prepared that morning. The third bowl was filled with meats including fatty cuts of steak, boneless chicken breasts, and deboned fish. The fourth bowl was filled with the warmed chicken broth. The final step was to drizzle olive oil over the bowl of meat. It wouldn't do much for his health, but it would help improve his skin and coat.

Sesshoumaru watched from his position on the comfortable bed as Kagome brought in his water and broth bowls to place them on a large towel. She exited the room once more and he reflected on his current arrangements. He had been taken from his mountain and brought gods knew where. He still wasn't quite strong enough to take his humanoid form, and he was being tended to by a human woman—his half-brother's priestess, at that. His strength was gradually returning, but he had quite a way to go until he reached the level he had once been at. The big question was what awaited him once he was able to leave this woman's care.

Kagome returned with his meat and vegetables, and Sesshoumaru slowly stood so that he could step from the bed and eat. Taking a seat on the corner of the bed to watch Sesshoumaru eat, Kagome glanced back to where he had been lying. The comforter and bed sheets were stained with dirt and grime, and she wrinkled her nose slightly before turning her attention back to Sesshoumaru.

"I bought some new sheets and blankets, you know," she spoke. The slight swivel of one ear was her only indication that he was listening. "You've been here almost a week. I was thinking that…maybe…we could try to give you a bath?"

This brought all of Sesshoumaru's attention on the fidgeting woman. She frowned at the intense look that he was giving her and said, "Hey, it doesn't sound like a thrilling evening for me either, but it needs to happen. You're covered in a few hundred years' worth of dirt and who knows what else. I'd rather get away with buying some new sheets now instead of new sheets and a new mattress later."

Sesshoumaru wasn't entirely sure what a "mattress" was, but based on context he could infer that it was what he had been lying on for the past several days. He stared pointedly at Kagome's bandaged arm before catching her eyes again. He would not stand to have his fur pulled at so roughly again.

"Yeah," she drawled as she rubbed the rough bandages. "I don't really want to repeat that either. I think I have a better plan than last time, though. You just finish your food and I'll get the bathroom ready, okay?"

Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome stood and exited the room once more. He wondered what she could possibly have planned, but he decided that he didn't care as long as it got him clean and didn't pull his fur out. He would never admit it to her, but the dirt that had worked its way deep into his fur made his skin crawl.

* * *

It was several minutes after Sesshoumaru had finished his supper that Kagome returned for him. She went about removing the sealing charms from the door and doorway, but Sesshoumaru was wondering what the woman was wearing. The clothes that she wore during the week stuck him as strange enough, but this was…indecent.

The bright blue bottoms that she wore barely covered her bottom and showcased her long legs which were strangely hairless. Was she ill? It could possibly be a birth defect. Her stomach was bared to him, and despite being nicely toned it was not something that was to be shown to a male who was not a mate. The upper garment wasn't much more than an equally bright blue scrap of cloth that covered the majority of her breasts. It had no sleeves and appeared to tie behind her around her ribcage and at the base of her neck.

The woman showed no signs of embarrassment over being dressed in such a way. Was this socially acceptable attire for human females? If so, what had happened to what little shame the humans had held?

"Okay, Sesshoumaru," Kagome said as she placed the small stack of papers on a nearby dresser. "Let's get started, because I have a feeling that this is going to take a while. Follow me."

Kagome waited as Sesshoumaru stood up on the bed and stretched. As he slowly stepped onto the floor and ambled towards her, she wondered if his sedated pace was because he was still healing or because he felt no need to keep to her schedule. Once he got within a couple of feet she turned and made her way towards the stairs. It was still a little startling to be around a dog that easily came up to her chest.

The large demon followed her up the stairs and into a room that had white tile floors. "Okay, hop into the tub and we'll get started," Kagome instructed. But when all she received from Sesshoumaru was a blank stare, her shoulders slumped because she knew that he wasn't going to make this easy. "I promise that I'll try really hard not to pull your fur this time. Just please get in the tub, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Seeing the young human before him press her palms together in a pleading gesture and address him properly, Sesshoumaru decided to humor the woman and see what she had planned. He tentatively stepped over the short white walls and into the large empty basin where he sat and waited.

"Okay, we're not going to have any surprises, so I'll let you know what I'm doing before I do it." Kagome looked to Sesshoumaru for any kind of indication that he had heard or understood her, but when she only received the same blank stare as usual she silently mused that his expressions didn't vary much from human to canine form.

Kagome reached over to grab the detachable shower head and showed it to Sesshoumaru. "Step one is to get your fur nice and wet." She slowly turned the knobs for hot and cold until a good temperature was reached. It was all that she could do to stifle her giggles as the great Western Lord started when the stream of warm water hit him. Sitting on the edge of the tub, Kagome slowly and methodically worked the water into Sesshoumaru's dirty but thick coat. The bottom of the tub was filled with dark rivulets that ran to swirl down the drain.

Rinsing her hands and turning off the water, Kagome replaced the shower head and reached into a basket she had prepared and placed next to the bathtub. "I was able to find unscented shampoo and conditioner for you. I don't think you're supposed to use conditioner on dogs, but since you aren't really a dog I think it'll be okay," Kagome reasoned. She put the large bottle she had picked up back into the basket to choose another. "We'll get to that lather, though," she said. "What I'm going to use now, I wasn't able to find unscented, but I got the mildest scent that I could find. This is a leave-in conditioning spray that I'm going to use with a detangling spray. Hopefully together they'll help me brush out your coat before I start to shampoo you." It suddenly struck Kagome that she was speaking about several modern items and she mumbled, "It's not like you're going to understand what all of this is, anyway."

Sesshoumaru glared at the scantily clad woman before him. Granted, he didn't know exactly what many of the words she was saying were referring to, but he was far from unintelligent. He understood the gist of what she was yammering about.

Kagome proceeded to use almost two bottles of both the conditioner and detangling spray; Sesshoumaru's large figure was covered in _lots _of fur. She couldn't imagine trying this if it was at its full thickness. The next hour and a half was spent slowly brushing out the matted off-white fluff in silence, occasionally stopping to clean the shed fur from the comb.

When the tedious and nerve-wracking task was complete, Kagome was surprised at just how much better Sesshoumaru was starting to look. A small smile began to replace her tired expression as she took the shower head once more to rinse what she could from the tangle-free fur.

Shampooing the giant dog turned out to be much more enjoyable than she had initially anticipated. Palm full after palm full of the unscented liquid was applied as needed and massaged into a fluffy lather. She used her blunt fingernails to work the shampoo deep into the fur and down to Sesshoumaru's skin. While she worked her way from the top of his head, down to his feet, and back to his tail, Kagome constantly had to tell herself that she was washing a dog and not bathing the tall demon lord from her memories.

As the shampoo was washed away, the dirt followed. Silvery white fur began to peek through, and Kagome was glad that she had been adding the oil to Sesshoumaru's food. The conditioner worked into his fur smoothly, and Kagome found herself running her fingers through the soft strands for a while even after the conditioner had been applied. The rinsing process actually made Kagome a little jealous of how smooth and silky the fur was. _'And it had been in such bad shape!' _She thought.

Grabbing a towel, Kagome stood and dried her arms and legs. She knew she was bound to get wet during Sesshoumaru's bath, and she was glad she had opted to wear her swimsuit. Kagome stretched her stiff limbs and heard a few of her lower vertebrae pop as she leaned backwards. She looked over to Sesshoumaru just in time to see him stand, and she knew what was coming next. Lifting up the towel to act as a barrier, she flinched as the great dog shook himself partially dry. Once things had calmed down and the water was no longer flying, Kagome looked around her bathroom and sighed at the sight of water droplets covering the floor, walls, and even ceiling.

_'Not much I can do about it now,' _she thought. Picking up a fresh towel, Kagome made her way over to Sesshoumaru and said, "I'm going to try to towel dry you as much as I can, okay?" She didn't receive any kind of affirmation but she didn't receive a growl either, so Kagome took Sesshoumaru's silence as what was as close to approval as she was going to get.

She gently rubbed the cotton towel across his head and face, down his neck and chest, over his legs and torso, and finally around his fluffy tail. Now only slightly damp, Kagome let Sesshoumaru step out of the tub and prepared herself for what was to come. It was safe to assume that Sesshoumaru was not going to be pleased. Kagome dug out her hairdryer and a large paddle brush. "Sesshoumaru, since I can't have you running around the house wet, I'm going to finish drying your fur with this, okay?" She asked as she held up the blue plastic dryer to show him.

Sesshoumaru stepped forward tentatively to sniff at the odd appliance. He had never seen anything like it before. As he sniffed what he assumed was the back portion he drew back quickly and shook his head before sneezing. Kagome laughed nervously and said, "Yeah, they can smell a little funny. What you probably smell is singed hair where I've gotten it too close to my head."

Narrowing his eyes at the foul smelling contraption, Sesshoumaru took a couple of steps back and shook his head. If the _thing _was able to produce enough heat to singe hair, it could most certainly singe his fur. He finally felt clean after centuries, and he wasn't going to have his fur ruined by some human device.

It took Kagome a moment to realize what had caused Sesshoumaru's shift in mood from curious to defensive, but when it finally dawned on her she quickly shook her head and waved her hands. "No, no, no," she back peddled. "I only ever singed my hair when I got distracted and got the hairdryer too close. I can only imagine what you would do once you got all of your strength back if I singed you," Kagome laughed awkwardly at her half-joke that got no reaction whatsoever. "The only thing you should worry about is the sound. It's a little loud."

Plugging in the hairdryer and scooting closer to Sesshoumaru, Kagome flipped the hairdryer onto its lowest setting and saw what she supposed was the equivalent of a grimace on Sesshoumaru's face. Kagome wasn't sure what more she could say to the demon, so she focused on the task at hand. Starting at his neck, Kagome used the brush to separate small sections of fur at a time and dried them with a careful hand. The more fur she dried, the more she realized just how fluffy Sesshoumaru's canine form was. She had seen the larger version during her travels only a handful of times, though she had been distracted by the very real threat that he had posed at the time. It was almost funny. At fifteen, she had never once imagined that she would be playing dog groomer for the intimidating lord.

As Sesshoumaru's fur dried the strands became light and formed a layer of fluff around his body. Kagome snuck in a few pets here and there as she worked, because she was fairly certain that Sesshoumaru wouldn't appreciate being treated like a pet. It took a while to work the brush and dryer though all of Sesshoumaru's coat, but when she was finished she was able to see some of the demon of her memory starting to shine through. Despite still being too thin, he still held a regal air about him.

Kagome sprawled out on the floor once the dryer was turned off and heaved a sigh of relief. That was one large chore taken care of. Stretching her arms above her head, Kagome grunted before saying, "I still need to change the sheets on your bed, but first I'm going to get something to eat." Kagome stood up and looked at the dog that wasn't much shorter than she was. "Since you're all nice and clean now, you can wander around the house and explore or whatever you want to do," she said as she turned to make her way down the stairs. "Just don't break anything, please!"

Sesshoumaru glanced around the small room that they had occupied for quite a while and decided to see what the priestess's home had to offer. He padded down the stairs and was about to investigate some of the stranger things that he couldn't begin to name when he heard a commotion in another room. Following the noise, Sesshoumaru found Kagome rummaging through a large white box. Or was it a pantry of some sort? His brow furrowed as he approached and sniffed around the edges of the contraption. There was definitely food in the white box, and the inside was chilled. Looking around Kagome's form—and noticing that she was showing considerably less skin—Sesshoumaru peered into the box. Though the inside was chilled, he could find no ice. Could humans have become much more proficient at magic?

When Kagome found what she was looking for, she removed the covered bowl from the refrigerator and took a few steps over to the microwave. Once the seal of the bowl's lid had been cracked a little and was placed in the microwave to be reheated, Kagome turned to lean against her counter and face Sesshoumaru. She could see his eyes looking at this and that, and his nose was twitching wildly. _'Well, without the ability to reach out and touch things, it makes sense that he would rely much more heavily on what his nose was able to tell him.' _She suddenly felt very sorry for Sesshoumaru.

He was completely displaced from the world that he knew. Demons no longer roamed the countryside. Money held more value than honor for most people. He was no longer the ruling force over the western lands. There were many things that he would need to learn and quite a few that he would need to re-learn. Catching the great canine's eye, Kagome spoke sadly, "The world is a very different place from what you once knew, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru damned the woman's inability to understand him in this form. There were many questions that he had, and he was receiving no answers. All that he ever seemed to get from this woman were vague statements with no further explanations on the matter. He was thinking of ways that he might be able to get his questions answered, but a loud, sharp noise suddenly echoed through the room and made his ears ache.

But the noise stopped when Kagome opened a small door and removed a bowl. As she removed the lid, Sesshoumaru could see steam rising from the contents. She paid him very little mind as she grabbed a set of chopsticks from a drawer and exited the room. He followed so that he could watch how she interacted with her surroundings. Surely he would be able to come to his own deductions about the strange objects around him if he was able to see a native use them.

Kagome sat on her couch and grabbed the remote to her TV. She knew that Sesshoumaru was watching her, but she decided to ignore him for the moment in favor of a little normalcy. As soon as she hit the power button and the TV screen flared to life, Sesshoumaru's head whipped in the flat screen's direction and he let a small growl escape his throat. Kagome was a little worried about her TV's safety as the massive dog demon approached it, but she relaxed once she saw the he was merely sniffing it from a distance. He stared at the images on the screen for a moment before he turned to look at her pointedly. When he looked to the TV and back to her again, she let a grin spread across her face.

"Why not come have a seat with me?" She asked as she patted a spot on the couch beside her. Sesshoumaru didn't budged and Kagome knew that he was waiting for an answer to his unspoken question. "I'll tell you what; once you're able to take your humanoid form again you can ask me all the questions that you want. I'll try to answer everything that I can, but I can't guarantee that I'll have all of the answers that you want. Let's call it incentive to get better soon!"

Sesshoumaru growled at the insolent woman when she patted her hand on a cushion beside her once more. Turning away from her with a small huff, Sesshoumaru found a different piece of furniture that looked mildly comfortable and piled himself into it. The rest of Kagome's meal was spent in silence as he tried to puzzle out the strange moving pictures. Later, after the picture screen went black and Kagome had given his bed new linens, Sesshoumaru rested in the darkness of his room and silently contemplated on whether he was any better off in this strange new world than he was in the mountains.

* * *

AN: Please excuse any glaring errors in this chapter. I tried to proof it while I was watching the Alabama/Notre Dame game, and I kept getting distracted. But I wanted to get this new chapter out tonight, so I'm posting it now and hoping for the best. Also, please excuse any writing style differences between chapters three and four. There was a pretty big gap between when the two were written! I will proof the chapter a little more thoroughly tomorrow. Anyway, let me know what you thought of the chapter and, as always, thanks for reading!

EDIT: Okay, I did a little more proofing. I think I got most everything. But here's a fun fact: If you have a dog with dry skin or a dull coat, adding some oil (olive, vegetable, etc) to their food will help moisturize their skin from the inside out and give them a nice shiny coat!


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